Artist Olafur Eliasson watched two million people bask in the warmth of his giant sun in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall nearly a decade ago. Now he is inviting them back — to a blackout.

A project developed for the London 2012 Festival, the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad, will see visitors given the chance to explore the gallery’s Surrealist collections illuminated only by torch-light.

The Tate Blackouts will echo an exhibition in Paris in 1938 where artist Man Ray provided torches for viewers at the International Surrealist Exhibition. But the larger aim of Eliasson’s new project is to transform the lives of 1.6 billion people in the world who live without mains electricity.

The Icelandic-Dane has developed a solar-powered light, called Little Sun, that will be used in the “blackouts” — and is already in mass production for sale in the Third World.

The Berlin-based artist said: “When you grow up you start to understand there’s a very uneven distribution of resources in the world.

“But people don’t have any experiential contact with that issue. I’m asking people to put themselves in the position of how it feels not to have access to power.”

Afterwards, the hope is that Little Suns will be sold by small businesses to promote economic growth in regions where electricity is not available. About 500,000 lamps will be made available this year and up to three million next.

Eliasson said he was “incredibly excited” to be back at Tate Modern. Its origins as a power station inspired the giant sun, formally known as The Weather Project, and the power theme has continued.

Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota said: “Olafur has made a beautiful object with an immense social and economic value, which has the potential to change lives in off-grid areas of the world.”

Tate Blackouts will take place on four Saturdays from July 28. Admission is free with the purchase of a £16.50 Little Sun.

The Olafur Eliasson: Little Sun project will continue until September 23 with a display about solar power and short films by filmmakers living without power.